Late Summer Flowers - all change in August

We have finished the bounty of summer flowers by late July in floristry.  Yes, we still have the staples of roses, but you will find as we head through August the flowers are becoming more Autumnal.

This means we need start altering our stock.  Some of those that we start to see available in August also reflect the colour changes of Autumn.  Our favourite buys during this changing season are worthy of a look:

Hydrangea - yes, available most of the year, but by mid-August we are starting to see more of the rich ruby and aubergine colours dominant.  Mix with shades of pink or blue flowers for a opulent palette.

Dahlias - available from July in abundance - but August is the best month really.  Lookout for Ball and Pompon varieties as these are strong and work in most designs.  Prone to head tilting, you may end up wiring the heads.

Helenium - one of our favourites as a secondary flower.  Comes in tones of yellow, orange and red and a great addition for dancing flowers in bouquets all through the Autumn.

Helianthus (Sunflowers) - The best buy of the summer!  Still perfect for August.  Look out for the new varieties.  We particularly like Helianthus with the dark red centre.

Zantedeschia (Calla Lilies) - One of the flowers of the moment!  In and out of fashion for the past 30 years, this flexible flower comes in over 300 different varieties.  Very popular in wedding bouquets but also a long lasting flower to add into gifting. 

Zinnias - The peak for these gorgeous multicolour flowers is July - October.  You need rigid stems - they are hollow so easy to squash.   Often quite short stemmed they will have limited use in bouquets.